Public Interest Fellowships
Post-graduate public interest fellowships are an excellent way to begin your career in public interest law. Many fellowships are project-based, where applicants partner with a non-profit organization and apply for external funding based on a specific proposed project. Others are funded directly by the organization with which the fellow will work. The fellowship application process primarily takes place during the 2L summer and 3L year but it is important to foster relationships with potential sponsors as early as your 1L year.
For more information about potential fellowship opportunities visit:
- Post Graduate Public Interest Fellowships
- Equal Justice Works Fellowships - 2019 application deadline has passed
- Soros Justice Fellowship - 2019 application are due October 22, 2018
- Berkeley Law Foundation - 2019 application TBD
- Skadden Fellowships - 2019 applications deadline has passed
- PSJD
2018 Post-Bar Fellowship Opportunities
The list below are just samples of the opportunities available and are only updated on a periodic basis. You are encouraged to visit PSJD often for the latest opportunities.
- Joseph R. Tafelski Fellowship in Housing & Economic Development - Toledo, OH - Position to start October 2018 apply ASAP
- Day Labor Outreach & Wage Recovery Project Fellow - Legal Aid at Work - San Francisco, CA - open until filled
- Fellowship - Court Square Law Project - Queens, NY - no date stated
- One-Year Fellow, Workplace Justice - National Women's Law Center - Washington, DC - Rolling
- Americorps Member: Medical-Legal Partnership Attorney - Alaska Legal Services Corporation - Fairbanks and Sitka, AK - applications reviewed on rolling basis
2019 Post-Bar Organizational Fellowship Opportunities
The list below are just samples of the opportunities available and are only updated on a periodic basis. You are encouraged to visit PSJD often for the latest opportunities
- *NEW* Dorot Fellowship 2019-2020 - Allicance for Justice - Washington, DC - Feburary 1, 2019
- *NEW* Emerson Fellowship - Congressional Hunger Center - Washington, DC - January 14, 2019
Deadlines Approaching:
- *NEW* Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project Fellowship – Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project – Washington, DC – October 19, 2018
- Attorney General's Honors Program/Earl Warren Fellowship - California DOJ - October 19, 2018
- Warfield Fellowship - Tennessee Justice Center - Nashville, TN - October 22, 2018
- Corporation Counsel Honors Fellow - New York City, NYC Law Department - October 26, 2018
- If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice - Oakland, CA (and other locations) - deadline November 1, 2018
- Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Legal Fellowship - Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press -Washington DC- Reviewed in a rolling basis until November 1, 2018.
- Jack Nelson-Dow Jones Foundation Legal Fellowship - Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press -Washington DC - Reviewed in a rolling basis until November 1, 2018.
- Stanton Foundation Media Litigation Fellowship - Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press - Washington DC - Reviewed in a rolling basis until November 1, 2018.
- 2019 SEIU Norm Gleichman Law Fellowship - SEIU - Washington, DC - November 3, 2018
November Deadlines:
- Fall 2019 Legal Fellowship - Equal Justice Initiative - Montgomery, AL - November 5, 2018
- Attorney General Fellowship - Colorado Attorney General's Office - Denver, CO - November 6, 2018
- Fellows Program - Supreme Court Fellows Program - Washington DC - November 9, 2018
- Alfa Fellow (Fully Funded Legal Experience in Russia) - Moscow - November 15, 2018
- William J. Brennan First Amendment Fellowship - Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project - ACLU - New York, NY - November 15, 2018
- National Security Fellowship - National Security Project - ACLU - New York, NY - November 15, 2018
- 2019-2020 Public Interest Environmental Law Fellow - Environmental Law Institute - Washington, DC - November 21, 2018
- 2019-2020 Law Fellow - Oceana - Washington, DC - November 30, 2018
- Legal Fellow - Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University - New York, NY - November 2, 2018
Later/Rolling Deadlines:
- Immigrant Justice Corps' Justice Fellowship - Immigrant Justice Corps' - opens October - closes in November
- Access to Justice and Structural Reform Fellow - Neighborhood Defender of Harlem - New York, NY - December 28, 2018
- Quattrone Center Research Fellowship - University of Pennsylvania Law School - Philadelphia, PA - December 31, 2018
- Legal Fellow 2019 - Changelab Solutions - Oakland, CA - December 31, 2018
- Constitutional Law Fellowship - Becket Fund for Religious Liberty - Washington, DC - December 31, 2018
- George R. Murphy Public Interest Fellowship - Murphy Anderson PLLC - Washington, DC - Rolling until December 31, 2018
- Graduate Fellowship Program - Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Inc. - Washington DC - January 15, 2019
- Native American Congressional Internship - Udall Foundation - Washington DC - deadline January 31, 2019
- 2019-20 Fellowship - Borchard Foundation Center on Law and Aging - Salt Lake City, UT - April 15, 2019
- Legal Fellow - Institute for Policy Integrity - New York, NY - reviewed on a rolling basis
- 2019 EPIC Law Fellowship - Electronic Privacy Information Center - Washington, D.C. - no date stated
- Civic Participation Fellow - Minkwon Center for Community Action - Flushing, NY - rolling until filled
- Fair Courts Project Fellowship - LAMBDA Legal Defense & Education Fund - Washington DC - no date listed
- Law and Policy Fellow: Policing Reform Campaign - NAACP LDF - Washington, DC - no date listed
- Associate Attorney - Public Interest Environmental Law Fellowship - Various offices - no date listed
2019 Post-Bar Fellowship Opportunities - Project Based Public Interest Fellowships
Below is a partial list of some organizations who have hosted project based fellowships (eg. Skadden or EJW) in the past. Some have a two step process - first you apply to the organization to be selected as a fellowship partner, then you apply to fellowships for funding. The deadlines for the 2019-2021 cycle are below. NOTE: Please check with the organization to verify deadlines and application requirements.
- NAPABA Law Foundation Community Fellowship - National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Law Foundation - Nationwide (This requires you to find a partner/host organization to apply) - December 31, 2018
List of California Host Organizations
| Organization | Location (CA) | Deadline | Fellowships | Issue Area(s) Funded or Seeking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A New Way of Life Reentry Project | Los Angeles | EJW | Re-entry; Criminal Law | |
| ACLU Disability Rights Project | San Francisco | July 6, 2018 (priority) Rolling | EJW, Skadden, etc. | Disability rights |
| ACLU Immigrant Rights Project | San Francisco | July 6, 2018 (priority) Rolling | EJW | Immigrant Populations |
| ACLU of Northern California | San Francisco | Rolling | EJW | Civil Rights/Liberties |
| ACLU of Southern California | Los Angeles | Rolling – submit materials as soon as possible | EJW | Education/Special Education |
| AIDS Legal Referral Panel | San Francisco | Rolling | Skadden, EJW, Other | Various |
| Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Los Angeles | Skadden | Immigration | |
| Bay Area Legal Aid | Richmond | June 15, 2018 | EJW | Housing; Domestic Violence; Econ Justice |
| Bet Tzedek Legal Services | Los Angeles | EJW; Skadden | LGBTQ Rights | |
| California Rural Legal Assistance | Salinas | EJW | Environmental; Farmworkers; Immigration | |
| California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation | Sacramento; Santa Rosa | EJW; Skadden | Farmworkers | |
| CARECEN | Los Angeles | EJW | Immigrant Populations | |
| Center for Gender & Refugee Studies | San Francisco | EJW | Immigration | |
| Centro Legal de La Raza | Oakland | Rolling | EJW | Workers’ Rights |
| Children’s Defense Fund | Los Angeles | N/A | Skadden | Youth/Children |
| Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto | Palo Alto | EJW | Children/Youth | |
| Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) | Los Angeles | ASAP | Skadden, EJW, Soros, other | Civil Rights or Immigrant Rights |
| Disability Rights Advocates | Berkeley | July 13, 2018 | EJW; Skadden | Disability Rights |
| Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund | Berkeley | June 25, 2018 | EJW | Disability Rights |
| Earthjustice | San Francisco Los Angeles | Rolling until August 10, 2018 | EJW; Skadden; Other | Environmental; Environmental Health; |
| East Bay Community Law Center | Berkeley | Rolling | Children; Youth | |
| Equal Rights Advocates | San Francisco | July 16, 2018 | EJW; Skadden; Ruth Chance | Women’s/Girl’s Rights: wage gap, job access, |
| Family Violence Appellate Project | Oakland | Reviewed on rolling basis | EJW, Skadden, others | Domestic Violence Survivors |
| Homeboy Industries | Los Angeles | Skadden | Re-Entry; Expungment; Consumer Rights; Social Services | |
| Human Rights First | Los Angeles | No date listed | EJW, Skadden, others | Asylum representation, immigration, LGBT asylum |
| Inner City Law Center | Los Angeles | Rolling until August 1, 2018 | Skadden; EJW; AmeriCorps | Homelessness |
| Kids in Need of Defense | Los Angeles | EJW | Immigrant Populations | |
| Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights | San Francisco | Rolling (encouraged to submit before June 1, 2018) | EJW | Civil Rights; Consumer Rights |
| Learning Rights Law Center | Los Angeles | Skadden | Youth; Special Education; Disability Rights | |
| Legal Aid at Work | San Francisco | June 1, 2018 | Skadden | Workers’ Rights |
| Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Rolling submit Early as possible | EJW; Skadden; Other | Consumer Rights |
| Legal Services for Children | San Francisco | June 30, 2018 | EJW; Skadden | Children/Youth |
| Los Angeles LGBT Center | Los Angeles | EJW | Immigrant Populations | |
| MALDEF | Los Angeles; Sacramento | Fried Frank | Civil Rights | |
| National Center for Lesbian Rights | San Francisco | EJW | LGBTQ Rights | |
| National Center for Youth Law | Oakland | July 6, 2018 | EJW; Skadden; Soros; Other | Education/Special Ed |
| National Day Laborer Organizing Network | Los Angeles | EJW | Labor; Employment; Immigration | |
| National Immigration Law Center | Los Angeles | July 13, 2018 | EJW; Skadden; etc. | Immigrant Populations |
| Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County | Pacoima/Los Angeles | EJW | Housing; Social Services | |
| Pangea | San Francisco or San Jose | July 20, 2018 | Skadden; EJW; others | Immigrant representation, habeas litigation for immigrants |
| Partnership for Working Families | San Francisco & Oakland | July 25, 2018 | Skadden; EJW; others | Policy & Litigation for low-wage workers |
| Public Advocates | San Francisco or Sacramento | ASAP but no later than July 6, 2018 | EJW; Skadden | Education Equity; Affordable Housing; transportation justice; climate justice |
| Public Counsel | Los Angeles | No separate application process | EJW; Skadden | Consumer Rights; Immigration; Housing; Special Education |
| Public Interest Law Project | Oakland | July 27, 2018 | EJW; Skadden, Soros; Other | Poverty law, affordable housing, public benefits |
| Public Justice Foundation | Oakland Washington,DC | August, 23, 2018 | EJW; Skadden; Others | Food Justice |
| Root & Rebound | Oakland | Rolling | EJW; Skadden; Soros; others | Prisoner Re-entry |
| Start Small Think Big, Inc. |
Oakland New York |
No date listed | EJW; Skadden; Others | Community Economic Development, Tax, Intellectual Property, Transactional, Labor |
| Swords to Plowshares | Los Angeles | June 22, 2018 | Skadden; EJW | Veterans |
| Transgender Law Center | Oakland | Rolling | EJW | Trans Issues; LGBTQ Rights |
| UnCommon Law | Oakland | July 31, 2018 | EJW; Skadden; Other | Parole hearing prep; prisoner rights; policy re criminal justice |
| Wage Justice Center | Los Angeles | Seeking applications now for 2019; Rolling | Skadden; EJW | Workers’ Rights |
| Western Center on Law & Poverty | Los Angeles, Sacramento, Oakland | June 15, 2018 | Skadden, EJW, other | Children and Youth access to Mental Health Services |
| Youth Law Center | San Francisco | Rolling | EJW; Skadden; other | Child welfare, juvenile justice advocacy |
List of National Host Organizations (Listed by State)
| Organization | Location | Deadline | Fellowships | Issue Area(s) Funded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACLU | Various States | July 6, 2018 (priority) Rolling | EJW; Skadden; others | Various |
| Earthjustice | New York, NY Miami, FL Chicago, IL Tallahassee,FL Washington,DC Philadelphia,PA | Rolling until August 10, 2018 |
EJW; Skadden |
Clean Energy (DC); Coal Program (Philly & Chicago); Drinking Water or Reproductive Rights (NY); any project (Florida offices) |
| Native American Rights Fund | Anchorage, AK Washington DC Boulder, CO | Due no later than 8 weeks prior to fellowship deadline - (July 23, 2018 for Skadden) |
Skadden; others NO EJW |
Indian Law |
| LatinoJutice PRLDEF | New York, NY Central Islip,NY Orlando, FL | August 10, 2018 | EJW; Skadden; Other | Criminal Justice Reform, Rights Restoration, Economic Justice Worker's Rights, School to Prison Pipeline |
| The Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Inc. | Chicago, IL | August 21, 2018 | EJW; Skadden; others | Hate crime, Housing Opportunity, education equity |
| CrescentCare | New Orleans, LA | none stated | EJW; Skadden | |
| Homeless Persons Representation Project | Baltimore, MD | Rolling until July 18, 2018 | EJW; Skadden; others | medical legal partnership, homelessness |
| Tahirih Justice Center | Baltimore, MD | August 1, 2018 | EJW; Skadden; others | immigrant women, humanitarian immigration for women |
| ACLU of Massachusetts | Boston, MA | August 7, 2018 | EJW; Skadden; others | Civil rights, civil liberties, immigrant rights, criminal justice, other |
| Committee for Public Counsel Services | Somerville, MA | August 31, 2018 | EJW; Skadden; others | Criminal Justice, Public Defense, innocence litigation |
| New England Innocence Project | Boston, MA | July 25, 2018 | EJW; Skadden; others | Wrongful convictions |
| Community Legal Aid | Worcester, MA | Rolling | EJW; Skadden; others | Civil rights, civil liberties |
| Legal Services of Eastern Missouri | St. Louis, MO | August 11, 2018 | EJW; Skadden | Veterans, civil legal services |
| A Better Balance | New York, NY | No date listed | EJW; Skadden; others | NYC Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, paid family leave, anti-discrimination, LGBTQ work-family issues, others |
| A Better Childhood | New York, NY | August 29, 2018 | EJW; Skadden; others | Children's rights, juvenile issues |
| Advocates for Children of New York, Inc. | New York, NY | Rolling until March 15, 2018 | Skadden; EJW | Education Advocacy |
| Catholic Migration Services | Brooklyn, NY | Rolling through July 23, 2018 | EJW; Skadden; others | civil rights, immigration and refugee, policy |
| Center for Popular Democracy | Brooklyn, NY | Rolling through July 31, 2018 | EJW; Skadden; others | civil rights, education, environment, immigration, policy |
| Center for Reproductive Rights | New York, NY | Rolling until filled | Skadden, EJW, Sorros, others | Reproductive rights, international human rights |
| International Refugee Assistance Project | New York, NY | July 13, 2018 | EJW; Skadden; others | Litigation, direct services, class action, civil rights, immigration, refugee |
| Legal Services NYC | Bronx | Rolling | Skadden, EJW, Sorros, others | Economic justice, education, family & immigration, foreclosure, LGBTQ Advocacy, Public Benefits |
| Make the Road New York | Brooklyn, NY Jackson Heights, NY | July 27, 2018 (COB) | Skadden, EJW, Kirkland & Ellis, others | Housing, government benefits, workplace justice |
| National Advocates for Pregnant Women | New York, NY | August 1, 2018 | Skadden; EJW; Soros; other | Women's rights, civil rights, policy |
| National Center for Law and Economic Justice | New York, NY | Not Stated | Skadden; EJW | Various civil rights, worker rights, disability rights, poverty law |
| National Employment Law Project | New York, NY | August 10, 2018 | Skadden; EJW; Other | Worker rights, civil rights |
| New York Civil Liberties Union | New York, NY | July 9, 2018 (priority) | Skadden, EJW, Sorros, others | civil liberties, civil rights, mass incarceration, sex offender rights, |
| Unlocal, Inc. | New York, NY | Rolling until August 20, 2018 | Skadden; EJW | Immigration & Refugee, Children’s rights |
| ACLU of New Jersey | Newark, NJ | July 31, 2018 – will begin reviewing on rolling basis on June 18 | EJW, Skadden; Soros; others | Civil liberties, constitutional rights, criminal justice |
| Education Law Center | Philadelphia, PA | July 23, 2018 (priority) Rolling | Skadden, EJW, Others | children's rights, education |
| Philadelphia Legal Assistance | Philadelphia, PA | July 2, 2018 | Skadden, EJW, Others | Various |
| Charleston Legal Access | Charleston, SC | No date listed | Skadden, EJW, Others | Wage theft |
| A Better Balance | Nashville, TN | No date listed | EJW; Skadden; others | workers rights, family rights |
| Catholic Diocese of El Paso - Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services, Inc. | El Paso, TX | August 24, 2018 | EJW | Immigration Law |
| Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) | Multiple Locations, TX | no date listed | EJW; Skadden; Other | Immigration Law |
| National Housing Law Project | Richmond, VA | July 18, 2018 | Skadden; EJW | Various |
| Legal Voice | Seattle, WA | August 10, 2018 |
Skadden; EJW; Others |
Advancing economic justice - esp. rights of women & LGBTQ |
| The Campaign Legal Center | Washington, DC | July 16, 2018 |
Skadden; EJW |
Campaign finance, voting rights, redistricting, and ethics |
| D.C. Law Students in Court Program, Inc | Washington, DC | Rolling until June 27, 2018 | Skadden, EJW, Soros, other | Landlord-tenant, housing, other justice reform |
| Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) | Washington, DC | No date stated | Skadden, EJW, Soros, Other | |
| Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law | Washington, DC | May 29, 2018 | Skadden; EJW; Soros | Criminal Justice, Economic Justice, Educational Opportunities: Fair Housing & Community Development; Voting Rights |
| Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia | Washington, DC | Rolling basis, apply early | EJW; Skadden | Immigrants' Rights Legal Services Project |
| Muslim Advocates | Washington, DC | July 29, 2018 | EJW, Skadden, other | Civil rights, civil liberties, litigation, policy |
| National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum | Washington, DC | July 31, 2018 | Skadden; EJW | Reproductive rights & health; economic justice; immigrant rights |
| National Center for Transgender Equality | Washington, DC | none listed | Any outside funding | transgender; LGBT, Health Care, privacy, Civil Rights |
| National Student Legal Defense Network | Washington, DC | ASAP but no later than July 1, 2018 | EJW, Skadden, other | Projects focused on student loan borrowers |
| National Women's Law Center | Washington, DC | Rolling until August 15, 2018 - priority based on time of application | EJW, Skadden, other | Workplace justice, education, income security and child care, reproductive rights & health |
| Poverty and Race Research Action Council | Washington, DC | None specified | EJW, Skadden, Other | Fair housing, environmental justice, education |
| SurvJustice | Washington DC | None specified | Skadden; EJW, other fellowships | Civil rights; civil liberties |
| Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs | Washington, DC | July 2, 2018 | Skadden; EJW; Soros | Any issue addressing bias and inequality |
| UNHCR Regional Office | Washington, DC | Rolling | Skadden; EJW, other fellowships | Asylum, refugee |
| Veterans Education Success | Washington, DC | July 31, 2018 | Skadden, EJW, others | Economic Justice, Veterans, education, public policy |